Street artist uses bold colours to boost hospital wellbeing  

A collaboration on the design of the new adolescent oncology unit in Gregorio Marañón Hospital, Madrid, between Formica Group, the Fundación Aladina and Ink and Movement sees the donation and installation of spectacular murals created by artist Okuda San Miguel.

This initiative aims to improve the wellbeing of the adolescents and their families during their stay in the hospital through the provision of a welcoming space that is full of colour.

The project follows in the wake of the renovation of the pediatric and adjacent areas of the San Carlos Hospital Clinic in Madrid in 2017, which was also carried out by Formica Group together with the Fundación Aladina and Okuda.

Okuda’s work was digitalised on Formica laminate® panels using the Younique® by Formica Group service and was arranged in numerous murals along more than 100m2 of the new floor in the Gregorio Marañón Hospital.

The work incorporates the artist’s characteristic designs, geometric structures and multicoloured prints. Speaking on the space, Okuda comments: “I wanted to depict the most childlike and positive part of my creations, to emotionally transform it and give it a new energy that will contribute to the wellbeing of everyone who passes through it”.

The murals create an unconventional and pleasing space for patients, their families and the centre’s medical staff to enjoy.

Gema Bonilla, Director of Marketing for Formica Group in Southern Europe, comments: “Among many other applications, our laminates and panels are often installed in hospital centres as they combine elegant design with maximum durability, two essential features for high-traffic areas like these. In this project, and through our Younique by Formica Group digitalisation service, we have applied Okuda’s creations to high pressure laminates, creating a striking space of colour and art in the Gregorio Marañón".

Lorena Díez, Director of the Fundación Aladina Hospitals, adds: “This initiative improves the quality of life of adolescents with cancer. Aladina aims to humanise hospitals, making the stay of cancer patients and their families as comfortable as possible. In this instance, the introduction of a vibrant and eye-catching design to the unit is to evoke a more home-like atmosphere that moves away from the sterile feeling traditionally associated with hospitals”.

Okuda continues: “This project features the most childlike part of my work, although in this case we also added a more pop-like element with the introduction of prints and the Kaos Star, an icon of mine which represents a different way of doing things."